Egg case plat



F. w. COLE EGG CASE FLAT Dec. 25, 1928.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 23, 1925 Dec. 25, 1928.

F. W. COLE EGG CASE FLAT Filed Sept. 23, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 4o egg case flats em I Patented Dec. 25, 1928;

"UNITED STATES rimnnnicx w. com, or cnrcaeo, rumors.

nee-case star.

Application filed September 23, 1926; Serial No. 137,208.

This invention relates to egg case flats for use in various types of crates commonly emplo ed for shipping eggs. I (l ne of the most common types of flat now in use comprises a hacked corrugated flathaving grooves or cut-away portions transversely of the corrugations to receive. the lower edges of the filler. Such a fiat, while possessing many advantages, is relatively expensive to make since it-requires pasting the back to the corrugated portion and forming the transversegrooves.

The'present invention has for one of its objects to provide an egg case fiat formed of a single integral sheet of relatively heavy fiber e board stamped to form grooves for the filler and provided with projections in the intermediate raised portions to contact and cushion the eggs. i A further im rtant object of this invention is to provi a simple, inexpensive egg flat ada ted tocushion the eggs effectively against reaking during shipment.

A' further importantobject of this inven-' tion is to provide an egg case flat having; regularly stamped grooves for receiving he lower edge of the filler and intermediate raised portions provided with oppositely extending projections adapted to contact the 80 eggs and cushion the same against breaki i Other and further important objects of this invention will be ap arent from the disclosures in the specification and the accompanyino drawings. r 1

his invention (in a preferred form) is illustrated in the drawings and hereinafter more fully described.

On the drawings: f Figure 1 is a top plan view of a blank for odying the principles of this invention. Figure 2 is an'enlarged of the same.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on line III-III of Figure 2. a Figure 4 is a fragmentary view illustrating one type of finished egg flat.

Fi re 5 is a sectional view V of Figure 4.

fragmentary view taken on line so Fi re 6 1s a fragmentary view of a modifi'ed orm of my invention. Figure 7 is a sectional view taken on line VI1 VII8o fFi re 6. t [1 f igure is'a ragmen ar p an view 0 a a second modified form of my invention, v

portion 2 V however; the upwardly Figure 9 is a sectional view taken on line IX-IX of Figure 8.

As shown on the drawings: Inthemanufactureofeggflatsembodyingthe principles of this invention,-relatively heavy fiber board having a calibre of substantially .030 of an inch thickness is preferably used. A sheet. of such fiber board of thel dimensions commonly emplo ed in egg case flats possesses suflicient strengt 1 without requiring any additional reinforcing or backing means to support the eggs without buckling. In Figure 1 there is shown a blank for egg case flats indicated by the reference numeral 1 preferably v stamped from a sheet of fiber board ofthe 'above characteristics. Any suitable stampoperationmay be employed'to provide spaced apart to form transversely extending intersecting grooves 3 for receiving the lower edges of the filler. In the stampingoperain substantially rectangular raised portions 2 tion the fibers in the upwardly crowded por- T tions 4. are-stretched to a certain extent and and rendered more or less resilient.

The blank above described is next subjected to other stamping operations to form the finished flats illustrated in the remaining figures.

In Fi ures 4 and 5, illustrating one type of at, a plurality of projections, 5 are egg formed-by punching the sheet with suflicient force to rupture the sheet, thereby forming openings 6 and upstanding points 7.' Said projectionsfi are preferably formed at regulai'ly spaced distances fromthe corners of the raised portions 2;and are primarily adapted to contact the surface of the larger ends of the eggs. op'erationthe' central portion of the raised is depressed to form a circular de- 8, the bottom of, which is punchedform an opening 9 surrounded by pression out to.

i Inthe same or subsequent stamping downwardly projecting points 10. It will be apparent that if the base of the ,egg rests in the circular depression 8 with its sides contacted by one or more of the points 7, that the 7 points 10 will aflord a cushioning efiect be-' tween the base of said egg and the end of the egg in the tier next below. Of course ideal conditions could be such that the small end of the e g in the tier below wouldbe held in uprig t ition by the rongs or points 10 but such ideal conditions iiould never be completely realized since the size and position of the eggs are never uniform. In anyevent, p ie P s 7 and the downwardly projecting prongs 1'0 serve to provide an effective cushioning between the adjacent upper and lower tiers of eggs- In Figures 6 and 7 there is shown a second modified form of egg case flat in which alternate projections 11 and 12 extend in opposite directions. Said projections 11 and 12 are formed as before by punching the sheet sufficiently to rupture the same, with the punches preferably arranged in a circle substantially the diameter of the larger portion of the egg. Said projections 11 and 12 thereby serve to prevent the eggs fromeither side of the flat fron; coming in contact with opposite sides of the same area of the raised portion 2. i

In Figures 8 and 9, instead of the punched projections as shown in the previous figures, the raised portions 2 are provided with annular concentric corrugations 13 ahd,,14. As viewed from the top of the flat, the annular corrugation 13 represents adepression, and the annular corrugation 14 a projection extending substantially one-half between the plane of the bottom of the corrugation 13 and the surface of the raised portion 2. A further central depression 15 is formed within the annular corrugation 14. An efficient cushioning efiect is thereby provided between the eggs in adjacent tiers, since no matter what the angle of the eggs, there is almost certainv to be an air space between the' adj acent portions of the eggs contacting the. two sides of the fiat. It should be further pointed out that during the stanping process the fibers of the flat are alternately stretched and compressed in such a way as to render the structure relatively resilient Without substantially weakening the supporting strength of the flat.

It should be understood that the specific arrangement of the projections and corrugaiions or corrugations is not thereby lessened.

I am aware that many changes may be made, and numerous details of construction. may be varied through a wide. range Without departing from the principles of this invention, andI therefore do not purpose limiting the patent granted hereon, otherwise than necessitated by the prior art.

I claim as my invention An egg case flat, v having intersecting grooves formed therein for receiving a filler and raised portions defined by said grooves, oppositely extending punched projections being formed in saidraised portions for con tacting the eggs, said projections alternately extending in opposite directions.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name.

FREDERICK w. cote. 

